Box Office: Avatar 3 Tops $1 Billion; The Housemaid Gives Sydney Sweeney a Breakout Win

Lead: James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash cleared the $1 billion global threshold over the New Year’s weekend, paced by steady overseas receipts and continued domestic holdovers. Through New Year’s Day the film had amassed $935 million worldwide—$266 million in North America and $699 million internationally—with Friday’s returns pushing the domestic total to $280 million. Industry trackers project a weekend take of about $36–38 million, which would send the North American total past $300 million. Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s sleeper The Housemaid continues to perform strongly, marking a notable box-office rebound for Sydney Sweeney.

Key Takeaways

• Avatar: Fire and Ash surpassed $1 billion globally as of Saturday, entering 2025’s billion-dollar club alongside Lilo & Stitch ($1.038B) and Zootopia 2 ($1.51B).
• Through New Year’s Day Avatar 3 had earned $935 million worldwide: $266 million domestic and $699 million overseas; Friday added roughly $14 million domestically to reach $280 million.
• Estimated New Year’s weekend domestic receipts for Avatar 3 are $36–38 million, which would push its North American total beyond $300 million.
• Zootopia 2 remains strong in its sixth weekend, down an estimated 7% with roughly $18 million from 3,285 theaters, and has grossed about $1.51 billion worldwide.
• The Housemaid is forecast to dip only about 6% to $14 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total near $75 million—a significant hit for Lionsgate and a career moment for Sydney Sweeney.
• Marty Supreme (A24) earned $27.1 million over the Christmas frame and is tracking for $11–12 million this weekend from 2,887 cinemas.
• We Bury the Dead, the weekend’s only wide new release, opened in 1,172 theaters and faces an uphill battle to surpass an estimated $2.7 million.
• Disney’s slate has generated roughly $6.5 billion in ticket sales for the year, a post-pandemic high for the company.

Background

The start of 2025 has shown strong post-holiday attendance, with moviegoers extending holiday screenings before schools and university terms resume. Studios leaned into a holiday release strategy that left several high-profile holdovers—including franchise tentpoles and adult-oriented specialty films—competing for the same audience during a historically busy box-office window. That context has helped films with broad family appeal, like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, maintain above-normal legs compared with typical post-holiday declines.

James Cameron’s franchise has been a dominant force across global cinemas since the original Avatar, with Cameron directing three of the four highest-grossing films worldwide (Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water and Titanic). Disney’s animated tentpoles have also performed exceptionally in 2025, helping the studio reach large annual totals in ticket sales. At the same time, specialty distributors and mid-size studios have found opportunities: strong critical reception and word-of-mouth have allowed titles like The Housemaid and Marty Supreme to carve out meaningful box-office footprints amid franchise competition.

Main Event

Avatar: Fire and Ash accelerated toward the $1 billion milestone over the New Year’s weekend after posting $935 million worldwide by New Year’s Day. Domestic receipts stood at $266 million at that snapshot, with international markets contributing $699 million. Friday’s domestic intake added approximately $14 million, lifting the North American count to about $280 million; weekend projections place the title at $36–38 million domestically.

If those weekend estimates hold, Avatar 3 will cross $300 million in North America and join Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2 as 2025 releases that have topped the billion-dollar mark. Studios Disney and 20th Century planned to release full grosses and a formal update on Sunday morning, according to distribution notes circulating industry-wide.

Zootopia 2 continued to exhibit strong holds in its sixth weekend, with an expected decline of roughly 7% and a weekend take near $18 million from 3,285 locations. The sequel recently overtook Frozen II ($1.453 billion) to become Walt Disney Animation Studios’ highest-grossing title not adjusted for inflation and has become China’s top-grossing Hollywood animated film with more than $560 million there.

Among smaller pictures, Lionsgate’s The Housemaid has proven a sleeper success. Estimates suggest only a modest weekend dip of about 6% to roughly $14 million, placing its domestic haul near $75 million. The film’s performance is notable not only for Lionsgate but for lead actress Sydney Sweeney, whose recent commercial controversy and a prior box-office disappointment now contrast with this commercial rebound.

Analysis & Implications

Several structural factors are supporting elevated box-office totals this New Year’s run. First, a light slate of immediate wide new releases left established holiday titles to carry momentum. Second, audience patterns—families and adult viewers extending holiday outings—favored films with cross-demographic appeal. Those dynamics helped franchise and animated fare remain resilient while giving select adult-targeted films space to grow via word-of-mouth.

For studios, Avatar 3’s milestone reinforces the value of global scale and overseas market strategy. Cameron’s films have consistently relied on larger international revenues; here, the $699 million international take through New Year’s Day highlights that reliance. Disney’s multiple billion-dollar releases in 2025 also underline how concentrated blockbuster success can elevate an entire studio’s annual box-office totals.

The Housemaid’s box-office trajectory underscores how counterprogramming can pay off. A female-skewing thriller with strong reviews has translated critical attention into sustained ticket sales, demonstrating that mid-budget genre pictures can still find commercial viability when they ignite mainstream conversation. For Sydney Sweeney, the film’s returns may recalibrate casting and marketing opportunities after recent setbacks.

Looking ahead, weekend estimates will be refined when studios report final numbers. If hold patterns persist, catalog titles and late-holiday releases will likely define early-2025 earnings, with wide new releases needing strong marketing or breakout word-of-mouth to displace entrenched performers.

Comparison & Data

The table aggregates studio-reported and industry-tracker tallies cited through New Year’s weekend. Avatar 3’s international strength is the primary factor pushing it over the billion-dollar line; domestic boosters including weekend legs and limited new-release competition are supporting its North American climb. Zootopia 2’s historic speed to $1 billion and its Chinese box-office dominance remain outliers compared with most animated releases.

Reactions & Quotes

Studios and market observers framed the weekend as validation for holiday scheduling and franchise durability. Below are sampled reactions reported by industry outlets and studio statements.

“We’re thrilled by the global response to Avatar: Fire and Ash and grateful to audiences worldwide.”

Disney / 20th Century (studio statement)

“Holiday holdovers and a thin immediate-release slate amplified legs for franchise and family titles this weekend.”

Box-office analyst (industry tracker)

“The Housemaid’s sustained ticket sales show how critical word-of-mouth is for mid-budget originals.”

Film critic (trade commentary)

Unconfirmed

• Exact final weekend grosses for Avatar: Fire and Ash were pending formal studio tallies as Disney and 20th Century planned an announcement on Sunday.
• Projected weekend figures (e.g., $36–38 million for Avatar 3, $14 million for The Housemaid) are industry estimates and subject to upward or downward revision after full reports.
• Any informal social-media reactions referenced in industry summaries are illustrative and not exhaustive of audience sentiment.

Bottom Line

Avatar: Fire and Ash reaching the billion-dollar threshold reinforces the continuing power of large-scale tentpoles in global markets—especially when favorable holiday timing and limited new wide releases align. The film’s international haul remains the decisive factor in its global success, while domestic legs are sufficient to keep it climbing on North American charts.

The Housemaid’s performance provides a counterpoint: targeted, well-reviewed mid-budget films can break out through strong word-of-mouth and reach meaningful box-office results, benefiting talent and distributors alike. As final numbers arrive, the weekend should be read as both a validation of franchise strength and an example of how varied programming can coexist profitably in a crowded market.

Sources

• The Hollywood Reporter — industry news (report summarizing box-office estimates and studio notes)